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DigArticleen-usSun, 02 Aug 2015 19:23:35 GMTSun, 02 Aug 2015 19:23:35 GMTDigNuke.comThe real dealhttp://soilassociation.org/tabid/1780/Article/1056/the-real-deal.aspx
Christmas is the one time that everyone focuses on and celebrates food, both for its symbolic importance but also as one of the last bastions of the joy sharing a special meal: it really does bring out the best in us, and to bask in that after glow of conviviality is all the proof one ever needs that food is crucial to our well-being. As we are already painfully aware, the food industry goes into festive overdrive: Christmas is gigantic business, and the more festive the food looks and 'luxurious' it sounds, the more we seem prepared to pay for it. <br/>
Mon, 15 Dec 2014 11:44:17 GMTLynda Brown1056Much Ado About Muttonhttp://soilassociation.org/tabid/1780/Article/1029/much-ado-about-mutton.aspx
It's very rare that a food book comes along that qualifies as a game changer, but Much Ado about Mutton, featured on Radio 4's Food Programme this coming Sunday, by Bob Kennard, is one such book, and one I hope everyone will read. Mutton has been Bob’s passion for over 20 years, and no-one understands its importance, or that of small scale sustainable meat production, better. <br/>
Thu, 02 Oct 2014 09:03:15 GMTLynda Brown1029Going the extra mile...http://soilassociation.org/tabid/1780/Article/1003/going-the-extra-mile.aspx
As part of my Trustee induction, a few weeks ago found me at an organic dairy getting up close and personal with Soil Association Certification inspection procedures with one of our senior inspectors. Like many consumers who regularly buy organic food, I've often wondered exactly what goes on and how certification officers ensure that their licensees are doing what they are supposed to be doing.<br/>
Wed, 09 Jul 2014 13:15:09 GMTLynda Brown1003Food Futures start herehttp://soilassociation.org/tabid/1780/Article/988/food-futures-start-here.aspx
Last Thursday the winners of this years BBC Radio 4’s Food Programme Food & Farming Awards were announced, including inspirational Halifax school cook Tony Mulgrove, who has been instrumental in helping Ravenscliffe school achieve a Food for Life Partnership gold award. <br/>
Tue, 06 May 2014 15:17:51 GMTLynda Brown9883 more days to go...http://soilassociation.org/tabid/1780/Article/984/3-more-days-to-go.aspx
Those of you following the great new wannabe national Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) movement will know that they need to raise enough money (£6,500 - a very modest amount by funding standards) to form a national self help network to help the movement go from strength to strength and become a viable alternative reality for everyone, town and country.<br/>
Thu, 24 Apr 2014 10:24:30 GMTLynda Brown984Organic Market Report: what can we glean?http://soilassociation.org/tabid/1780/Article/974/organic-market-report-what-can-we-glean.aspx
As most people know, the new Organic Market Report is a corker (a fascinating read, nicely presented, and lots of feel good stats). Despite a dreadful recession - which all sectors of the food and farming industry have battled with and suffered from - and supposedly against all the odds, the organic market is back in growth. Frankly, it's looking buoyant, good-to-go, and fighting fit. Moreover the trend is global and includes textiles and health & beauty products too.<br/>
Fri, 11 Apr 2014 17:31:50 GMTLynda Brown974Died and gone to (cheese-y) heaven...http://soilassociation.org/tabid/1780/Article/938/died-and-gone-to-cheese-y-heaven.aspx
Imagine being in a wonderfully restored barn hosting a truly magnificent display of cheeses, sampling indescribably tasty organic cheeses of every style and description, being able to meet the cheese makers and learn about their cheeses first hand (their enthusiasm is infectious), as well as getting the latest market update (buoyant - organic cheese market is in very good health and growing by the minute), not to mention presentations from experts including cheese maestro Juliet Harbutt. <br/>
Wed, 12 Mar 2014 19:10:18 GMTLynda Brown938Girl powerhttp://soilassociation.org/tabid/1780/Article/923/girl-power.aspx
One of the Soil Association events that left a lasting impression on me was the launch of the national CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) network. It's getting near Spring - that means sorting out where you're going to get your organic veggies from this year. Local box schemes offer brilliant value and tick all the boxes - they leave supermarkets standing when it comes to freshness, variety and feel good customer service (and no more expensive, and come to your door) - but CSAs offer the most visionary and joined up approach yet.<br/>
Fri, 14 Feb 2014 10:02:05 GMTLynda Brown923Organic hero: Moo Man mania...http://soilassociation.org/tabid/1780/Article/918/organic-hero-moo-man-mania.aspx
Ever since I saw the Moo Man film at our Soil Symposium last October, Moo Man has been on my list on must-do blogs. The recent news that the FSA is to continue to allow the sale of unpasteurised milk direct and via the internet is the excuse I've been waiting for. Moo Man is one of the most remarkable films I have ever seen - to see what I mean, treat yourself to this You Tube trailer. <br/>
Thu, 06 Feb 2014 11:28:48 GMTLynda Brown918BBC Food and Farming Awards: Your chance to make a difference! http://soilassociation.org/tabid/1780/Article/912/bbc-food-and-farming-awards-your-chance-to-make-a-difference.aspx
We don’t often get a chance to make a difference but nominating your favourite organic grower, farmer, cheesemaker, baker and so on for the BBC Radio 4’s Food and Farming Awards could do just that. They’ve become one of the industry’s most coveted awards, and it’s a unique opportunity to showcase the rest of the world just how special and inspirational the organic food and farming movement is.<br/>
Fri, 10 Jan 2014 17:05:05 GMTLynda Brown912Meat as a treat...http://soilassociation.org/tabid/1780/Article/906/meat-as-a-treat.aspx
Calling all meat eaters - had your fill of turkey, enough organic chipolatas and ham to keep you going until next Christmas? Good, because I thought I'd kick of the New One with a thought about what's rapidly becoming the next hot potato on the food agenda, namely meat, or rather our seemingly insatiable desire for it, especially if it's cheap.<br/>
Thu, 02 Jan 2014 12:04:09 GMTLynda Brown906How it Should Be....http://soilassociation.org/tabid/1780/Article/901/how-it-should-be.aspx
Phew, what a week of ‘How it Should Be’s’ last week was. Kicking off with the CSA conference in Stroud, and finishing with a flourish with the opening of HiSbe, the new 'How it Should Be' happiness before profit store in Brighton (all the rave on Twitter, and, yes, such a great name and concept), as well as the Sustainable Food Trust’s True-Cost Accounting of Food and Agriculture conference, it felt like one of those game changing weeks for the caring, sharing, needs must, small-scale, humankind, Brave New World we are all part of.<br/>
Tue, 10 Dec 2013 09:12:08 GMTLynda Brown901Roast Dinner Day... with special extrashttp://soilassociation.org/tabid/1780/Article/895/roast-dinner-day-with-special-extras.aspx
Roast Dinner Day is obviously popular, so here's an account of mine which I was fortunate enough to be invited to enjoy at Coln House school in Fairford, near Cirencester who currently have a Food for Life Partnership Bronze Award but who have their sights set on Gold. It's a state-funded Special Needs residential school (9-16 years), though you only need one look at their website to know that this school is special in so many ways. 'Going the extra mile', 'from farm to plate', and 'good food is a right not a privilege' could have been written especially for them. <br/>
Mon, 25 Nov 2013 14:58:03 GMTLynda Brown895Sweetness and light. . .http://soilassociation.org/tabid/1780/Article/890/sweetness-and-light.aspx
Last week I attended my first Soil Association Council meeting, so I thought it an opportunity to say, first, my very sincere heartfelt thanks to all the Soil Association members who voted for me; and second, what a privilege it is to be part of such an inspiring organization. Being on Council will enable me to learn more about this great organic movement from the inside, which, of course, hopefully means I can help spread the organic word with even more organic zeal on the outside. There are several exciting organic initiatives in the pipeline, so watch this space, and prepare to love your Soil Association even more.<br/>
Thu, 31 Oct 2013 14:22:19 GMTLynda Brown890Soils: no longer just muck, and much more than magichttp://soilassociation.org/tabid/1780/Article/880/soils-no-longer-just-muck-and-much-more-than-magic.aspx
My head is still reeling from the fascinating but also alarming statistics I heard on BBC radio 4’s Shared Planet yesterday, presented by the Soil Association’s president, Monty Don. The programmed covered how soil is the biological engine of the Earth, yet is the world’s least understood eco-system; how there are 50,000 different types of soil, home to 1/3 world’s living organisms (including a 100 billion types of bacteria and 10,000 tiny organisms); how its fuel is organic matter, and how its health and biology is regulated by its structure; how earth worms are the vital player, moving as much soil as tractors; how 95% of our food depends on soil, yet we are losing it 50 times faster than it can be replaced; how soil acts as the primary filter for our drinking water (and how water companies have to treat it to rid it of nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers); how soil is the largest reservoir of carbon on earth, out performing rain forests; how bacteria secrete compounds that provide the ‘glue’ to make strong soil structure, trash bacteria and you trash the structure; and so on. <br/>
Wed, 16 Oct 2013 12:42:37 GMTLynda Brown880Wells Food Festivalhttp://soilassociation.org/tabid/1780/Article/878/wells-food-festival.aspx
Next Sunday, 20 October, will find me at the first Wells Food Festival and I’m hoping that anyone interested in food - especially supporting local food producers, that live in the area, will be there too. I’m making the effort to go to this one firstly because it is determinedly local; secondly because they’ve got some interesting ‘walks and talks'; thirdly because they’ve got a debate on milk, (a subject close to my heart) chaired by Soil Association trustee Joanna Blythman; and finally because the beautiful market town of Wells is now the latest rural market town to fall victim of the SS - Supermarket Saturation.<br/>
Thu, 10 Oct 2013 10:48:22 GMTLynda Brown878Tweet tweet......http://soilassociation.org/tabid/1780/Article/854/tweet-tweet.aspx
Thanks to a friend who did it for me, I've just signed up to Twitter – @lyndaingarden. Yes, I know I'm a wimp and it's taken me forever, but when it comes to social media I'm an out and out laggard. It feels a bit like first day back at school , very exposed and dead nervo<br/>
Mon, 23 Sep 2013 11:48:21 GMTLynda Brown854The perfect peach...http://soilassociation.org/tabid/1780/Article/839/the-perfect-peach.aspx
I’m currently eating a very special peach; special not just because it is exquisitely perfumed with a silky soft skin which peels off effortlessly, flesh that melts like butter, and a flavour that defies description; nor just because it is indeed perfect – not a blemish to be seen, and allowed to ripen to perfection; but because of how I came upon it. You see, I’ve just got back from a brief tango-cum-sightseeing tour of Parma - organized by my tango teacher, Sandra Monticelli who comes from Parma - staying in the foothills and eating in local restaurants (and yes, it was everything a tango foodie could wish for).<br/>
Thu, 05 Sep 2013 11:16:29 GMTLynda Brown839Where do you draw the line?http://soilassociation.org/tabid/1780/Article/812/where-do-you-draw-the-line.aspx
I have a big problem with the current fashion for the love-in with the words “sustainability” and “local”, both of which seem to be used for just about every food and means of producing foods, including GM crops. Actually, it’s not so much a problem as outright contempt. Both have become soft options, fluffy, feel-good, vague, all embracing, tick-all-boxes terms that enable everyone to turn a blind eye to any of the downsides to whatever is being described as local or sustainable.<br/>
Fri, 02 Aug 2013 12:41:31 GMTLynda Brown812Who made your dress?http://soilassociation.org/tabid/1780/Article/804/who-made-your-dress.aspx
I used to work in the advertising business for a while, so I’m a sucker for a good headline, and this morning fair trade and organic fashion gurus, People Tree sent over a cracker to advertise the last of their summer sale. “Who made your dress?” has pics of some of their best selling summer dresses and who made them. <br/>
Fri, 19 Jul 2013 11:01:25 GMTLynda Brown804